Link bending machinery



(No Model.) I 1 e Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. W. R. JOHNSON.

LINK BENDING MACHINERY. No. 459,401. Patented Sept. 15,1891.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. W. R. JOHNSON. LINK BENDING MACHINERY.

Patented Sept. 15,1891.

(No Model.) -7 I 6 sheets-411661; 3.

. J. W. R. JOHNSON.

LINK BENDING MACHINERY. No. 459,401. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

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' J. W. R. JOHNSON.

LINK BENDING MACHINERY. No. 459,401. Patented Sept. 15, 1 891.

(N0 Mfidel.) 7 6 Sheets-Sheet 5.

J1 W. R. JOHNSON. LINK 115111111111 MAGHINERY.

No. 459,401. P11 11191 Sept. 15, 1891.

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J. W. R. JOHNSON.

LINK BENDING MAGHINERY.

No. 459,401. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.-

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JOHN \V. R. JOHNSON, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TREDEGAR COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LlNK-BENDING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,401, dated September 15, 1891.

Application filed April 20, 1891. Serial No. 389,668. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN W. R. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Link-Bending Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to machines of the class in which the link-blank is cut from a heated rod inserted into the machine, its ends scarfed and bent by being pressed around a form or mandrel by rollers into aform which only requires the uniting of its overlapping ends to complete the link.

The object of my invention is to perform these operations in a simple and eflicient manner, which end I attain by certain novel organizations of instrument-alities, hereinafter specified, by which the work is done by the simple traverse of parts of the mechanism in two intersecting paths.

The accompanying drawings represent so much only of a machine embodying my improvements in the best way now known to me as is necessary to illustrate the subject-matter claimed. Some parts may,however, be used without the others and in machines differing somewhat in their details of construction from those herein shown.

Unless otherwise indicated the parts are of wellknown approved construction and operation.

Figure 1 is a plan with the parts in their normal or forward position, ready for the insertion of a blank, and Fig. 2 an elevation of the right-hand side of the machine. Figs. 3,

4, and 5 are respectively vertical longitudinal sections on the lines 3 3, t a, and 5 5; Fig. 6, a vertical transverse section on the line 6 6; Fig. 7, a horizontal transverse section on the line 7 7. All the above views show the parts in the same relation as in Fig. 1. Fig. 8 shows a section similar to Fig. 7, but with the parts retracted into the relation assumed at the moment of bending the ends of the blank. Fig.9 is a similarview illustrating the operation of bending the center of the blank. Fig. 10 shows front and side views of the rod guide and shear; Fig. 11, a perspective and edge view of the scarfing-knife; Fig. 12, front and side views of the blank-gage; and Fig. 13 shows the bending-pins with their opposite inclines for bending the ends of the blank into different horizontal planes, so that they may overlap when joined.

The feed end of the machine I term the front, the discharge end the rear. side on the right of a person at and facing the feed end I term the right, the opposite the left side. The feathered. arrows indicate the direction of View of the sections, the short solid darts the forward or down stroke of the moving parts, and the dotted arrows their backward or up stroke.

The apparatus may be .used separately or as an attachment to other machines.

The drawings show the mechanism as mounted on a fixed frame or bed-plate A A. Slide-plates B 3 on opposite sides of this bed-plate are made movable toward and from the central line of'the machine or the line of traverse of the mandrel, and are held in their adjusted position by set-screws b. The machine is thus rendered capable of making links of different lengths, as hereinafter explained. Stands O O are mounted on these slide-plates.

A shear-bar D moves vertically in guides in the right-hand stand O, being held therein That by straps d. This bar carries on its lower end a rod-guide D, Fig. 10, through which the blank is inserted endwise, and a shear d, which aids in cutting it, and is reciprocated endwise vertically into and out of the line of feed of the blank by a lifting-roller d traversing the guide-groove D hereinafter described.

A corresponding stop or gage bar E moves vertically in guides in the oppositeor lefthand stand O, being held therein by straps e, and carries on its lower end a stop-gage E, Fig. 12, into which the blank is inserted and against which its end abuts. This gage-bar is also reciprocated endwise in and out of the 5 line of the blank by a lifting-roller e traversing a guide-groove E hereinafter described. Bending-pins F F also move endwise in guides slightly inclined from the vertical in the stands 0 C, respectively. The

lower ends of these pins, when in this normal or lowest position, rest in sockets in the slide-bars B B to enable them to resist the lateral strain to which they are subjected when bending the blank. They are inclined in opposite directions and serve to bend the opposite ends of the blank above and below its plane to enable them to overlap when joined. These pins are also reciprocated endwise in and out of the plane of the blank by means of bell-cranks F F rocking vertically parallel with the inner faces of the stands 0 Oon pivots f f thereon. These bell-cranks are connected with the bending-pins by pivoted links or straps f f, to accommodate their movement in different paths.

Grippers G G rock vertically on pivots g g, parallel with the inner faces of the stands 0 O, to hold the blank down firmly while its ends are being bent. They are held down at the proper time by cam-lugs g thereon, acted upon by grip-plates g on the central slidebar, hereinafter described. When released from these plates, the grippers are normally lifted up out of contact with the blank by springs G A guideapron 1-1 is hung at its forward end on a rod h, mounted in lugs h on the front of the slide-plates B B. This rod being longer than the width of the apron and being capable of sliding freely endwise through its lugs accommodates itself to the adjustment of the slideplates to different lengths of blanks. This guide-apron is pivoted slightly below the plane in which the blank lies in the machine; but its rear edge is forced up to that plane, so as normally to rest against the blank by spring h It is depressed at the proper time as the mandrel passes over it to bend the center of the blank, as hereinafter explained.

Two center bending-rolls I I turn loosely on pivots 2 on blocks 1 adj ustable laterally in the bed-plate Aand capable of being held in any desired position by clamp-screws-t" to suit different widths of links. I

Slide-frames K K move freely endwise in guides 17 in the slide-plates B B, which, as before remarked, are laterally adjustable to accommodate links of different lengths. The outer bending-rollers J J turn on vertical pivotsj near the outer end of the lower bars of these slide-frames. I

A knife L, Fig. 11,is mounted on the inner front side of the slide-frame K and co-operates with the shear d in severing and scarfing the blank, being set at the proper angle for that purpose, as clearly shown in the drawings. Brackets k, projecting inwardly from each of the slide-frames, carry rods K provided with knockers k adjustable thereon. Theserods slide endwise through the lower forked ends of the bell-crank levers F F, and the abutting of the knockers against these levers lifts them at the proper time, and with them thebending-pins. These pins, by the way, are preferably made to slide someare connected by bolts m, thus accommodating the lateral adjustment of the slide-frames K K and slide-plates B B to accommodate different lengths of links. The cross-head is reciprocated from any suitable prime mover by pitmen M, respectively connected with each end thereof, so as to insure a perfectly parallel movement of the slide-frames and other moving parts. A center head N, mounted on this cross-head, carries a socket n, in which the front end of a center barO fits loosely, so as to be capable of slight endwise play therein. The rear end of this bar slides through a bearing in an upright A mounted on an extension A of the bedplate. An adjustable connecting-rod N projects from center head backward a short distance over the center bar. Parallel elbow-levers P P rock vertically on a central pivot 19 on this overhanging arm. The forward arm of these levers is connected by a pivot 0 to the center bar 0, while their rear arms are pin-jointed to a mandrel-block R, carryinga mandrel R on its lower side. This block is adapted to move vertically in a vertical slot 0 in the center bar, the front and rear Walls of which slot are sloped upward and backward. Oorrespondingly-inclin ed slots 0" in the center bar are traversed by pins 0 in the mandrel-block, thus compensating the differential movements of the center head and center bar.

A friction-cup Q in the upright A carries afriction-block q, pressed down upon the center bar 0 by a spring q, the tension of which is adjustable by a set-screw g to prevent the bar from sliding farther than it is positively pushed by the center head and to hold it while mandrel descends.

A weighted lever S is pivoted at its rear end to this friction-cup, so as to rock vertically over the center bar, and a catch 5 on the under side of this lever when it is depressed engages with a corresponding lug 0 on the center bar. The forward end of this lever curves upward and carries an adjustable stop S, which is struck upward at the proper moment by the mandrel-block R as it rises to release the lever-catch from the center bar.

The operation is as follows: The work is done by a series of reciprocations or backward and forward strokes of the moving parts of the apparatus. While the knifeL is'retra'cted a heated rod or blank is inserted endwise through the rod-guide D a short distance. On the next forward stroke the knife severs and scarfs this end of the rod. The crop end of the bar is swept out on the next back stroke. The hot rod is then pushed endwise across the machine until its inner end rests in the stop-gage E. The knife then advances and cuts off the other end of the blank, this operation taking place at the end of the forward stroke, when the parts occupy the position shown in the first seven figures of the drawings. These figures show the rod as lying between the bending-pins F F and guide-apron H on one side and the stands 0 O and the center bending-rolls I I on the other side. The rod also rests near each end on the slideplates B B, with its ends projecting slightly beyond the stands. (See Fig.7.) In this position the bending-pins are inserted in their sockets, the rod-guide and stop-gage are in their lowest position in line with the rod, and the grippers Gr G rest upon the rod near each end. The rod-guide, the stop-gage, the bending-pins, the guide-apron, and the center bending-rolls, being mounted on the slide-plates, all remain stationary. The center bar has a slight endwise play in its bearings, while the slide-frames K K move freely endwise, but always in the same horizontal plane with the cross-head and center head. As a consequence of this organization on the next back stroke the grip-plates g ride over the ca1nlugs g on the grippers to hold the rod securely in place. Simultaneously with this movement the lifting-rollers d e traverse the upwardly and backwardly inclined parts of the guidegrooves D E in the sliding frame and lift the rod-guide or shear-bar D and the gage-bar E above the line of travel of the outer bending-rollers J J, which then come into action, passing backward into the position shown in Fig. 8, under the shear-bar and gage-bar, and bend the ends of the blank around the bending-pins F F, they being firmly supported laterally against the strain to which they are subjected at this moment by their lower ends being inserted in sockets in the slide-plates. The center bar 0, having, as before remarked, slight end-play in its bearings, does not partake of the first backward movement of the slide-frame; but the elbow-levers PP, pivoted thereto, do partake of this movement, being connected with the cross-head by the center head N. The center bar is, in fact, held positively against backward movement by its lug 0 engaging with the catch 8 of the weighted lever S. The center bar being thus held while the backward movement of the center head continues, the mandrel R is raised up through the vertical slot in the center bar above the plane of the link-blank and the bending-rollers by the action of the elbow-levers P P, which in their upward movement release the catch-lever S and allow the center bar and mandrel to move backward with the slide-frame into the position shown in Fig. 8, where it lies in front of the blank if and over the guide-apron. Simultaneously with this backward movement of the mandrel the grippers are released from pressing on the blank and thrownup by their springs out of the way. Toward the termination of the back stroke the knockers strike the bell-cranks of the bending-pins and lift them also out of their sockets and out of the way, they being retained in this upward position by suitable friction-springs c, Fig. 5. At the beginning of the next forwardstroke the friction-block f holds the center bartemporarily while the center head advances. This depresses the mandrel into the plane of the link-b1ank, during which movement it rides over and depresses the guide-apron out of the way. In its continued forward move-' ment the mandrel passes between the center bending-rolls and bends the link. Fig. 9 shows this bending as partly completed, while Fig. 7 shows the finished link at the completion of the forward stroke. From this figure it will be seen that a new blank is inserted as the formation of the preceding one is completed. The completion of this forward movement restores all the parts to their normal position shown in. the first seven figures of the drawings. The completed link is stripped from the mandrel as it rises through the center bar on the back stroke and drops out of the machine.

Among the advantages incident to my improved organization may be enumerated the following: A rigid compact bed-plate having slide-plates adjustable laterally thereon relatively to the central line or axis of the ma-' chine carrying the rod-guide, gage-bar,bending-pins, grippers, guide-apron, all except the latter moving transversely to the plane traversed by the blank as it is formed, so as to get them out of the way of the parts moving in the same horizontal plane with the blank, such as the slideframes, knife, outer bending-rollers, and center bar, which always move in the same horizontal plane, and the mandrel, which moves both parallel with and transversely to the blank in order first to ride over and then to bend it. The blank, itwill be observed, is formed mainly by the cooperation of the mandrel and four bendingrollers with the bending-pins, the ends of the link being bent on the back stroke of the machine and its formation completed on the succeeding forward stroke, thus requiring less power than if the Whole operation was performed during a single stroke of the machine. The organization,it will also be observed, is such that any of the parts can'readily be removed or replaced in case ofbreakage, and the motions are simple and direct.

Having thus fully described the construction, organization, and operation of my improved link-bending machine, what I claim therein as new and as of my own invention 1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, slideplates adjustable laterally thereon, stands on these slide-plates, a rod-guide carried by one of these stands, and a stop-gage carried by the other, both movable transversely to the line of feed of the blank to guide, gage, and release the blank;

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, slide-plates adjustable laterally thereon, stands on these slide-plates, and bending-pins carried by the stands and movable transversely to the line of feed of the blank which passes between the stands and bending-pins as it is fed into the machine.

3. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, a stop-gage, and bending-pins, all movable transversely to the line of feed of the blank.

4. The combination, substantially as herei nbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, slide-plates adjustable laterally thereon, stands on these slide-plates, a rod-guide, a stopgage, and bending-pins, all carried by the stands and movable transversely to the line of feed of the blank.

5. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate,slide-plates adjustable laterally thereon, a rod adapted to slide endwise in bearings on the slideplates, a guide-apron pivoted on this rod, and springs which normally hold the apron in the line of feed of the blank to help retain it in place when first inserted in the machine.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, slide-plates laterally adjustable thereon, a rod-guide, a stop-gage, and a guide-apron, all movable transversely to the line offeed of the blank and co-operating to hold it in position.

7. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, a stop-gage, and a guide-apron, all movable transversely to the line of feed of the blank, first to hold and then to release it.

8. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, slide-plates adjustable laterally thereon, a rod-guide and stop-gage carried by the adjustable slides, and the center bending-rolls, against which the blank is held by the stop and guide when first inserted into the machine.

9. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, a stop-gage, and a guide-apron, all movable transversely to the line of feed of the blank, with center bending-rolls, between which and the apron the rod is inserted endwise into the rod-guide and stop-gage.

10. The combination,substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, a stop-gage, bending-pins, and a guide-apron with center bending-rolls, between which and the other members the rod is held.

11. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, slide-plates adjustable laterally thereon, stands on these slide-plates, a rodguide carried by one of these stands, a stop-gage carried by the other, a slide-frame movable in the slide -plates move transversely to the line of feed of the rod, a shear carried by this guide, a slide movable transversely to the line of feed, and a scarfing-knife mounted on the slide and cooperating with the shear to sever the blank.

13. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, astop-gage, and interposed yielding grippers which press the blank upon its bed as it is fed into the machine.

14. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of bending-pins against which the ends of the blank rest when inserted into the machine, and interposed yielding grippers which hold the blank in this position.

15. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, a stop-gage, bending-pins, and yielding grippers, all cooperating to hold the rod in position.

16. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore. set forth, of arod-guide, a stop-gage, bending-pins, yielding grippers, anda guideapron, all co-operating to retain the blank in position.

17. The combination substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, astop-gage, yielding grippers, and center bending-rolls, all co-operating to hold the blank in position.

18. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of bending-pins, yielding grippers, and center bending-rolls, all co-opcrating in holding the blank.

19. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of bending-pins, yielding grippers, a guide-apron, and center bendingrolls, all co-operating to hold the blank.

20. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide, a stop-gage, bending pins, yielding grippers, a guideapron, and central bending-rolls, all co-opcrating to hold the blank.

21. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a slide-plate, a stand carried thereby, a shear-bar or rod-guide mount ed in guides therein through which the rod or blank is fed endwise, a roller on the rodguide, a frame sliding in the slide-plate, and a guide-groove therein traversing the roller to move the rod-guide transversely to the line of feed of the rod or blank.

22. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a slide-plate, a stand thereon, a gage-bar or stop-gage movable in guides therein, into which gage the end of the rod is inserted, a lifting-roller on the stopgage, a frame sliding in the bed-plate, and a guide-groove therein traversing the roller to move the stop-gage transversely to the line of feed of the rod or blank.

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23. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a slide-plate, stands carried thereby, bending-pins movable in guides therein, frames sliding in the bed plate, knockers carried thereby, and bell-cranks actuated by the knockers to traverse the bendrug-pins in and out of the path of the blank. 24. The combination,substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a slide-plate, stands carried thereby, yielding grippers pivoted thereon, cam-lugs on the grippers, a frame sliding in the slide-plate, and grip-plates actuated thereby to press the grippers upon the blank. 25. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, bendingp1ns around which the ends of the blank are bent, grippers which hold the blank during this operation, and mechanism which simultaneously releases the bending-pins and grippers from contact with the blank.

26. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of bending pins, mechanism traversing them in and out of the line of the blank, outer bending-rolls, and mechanism whichtraverses them in the plane of the blank, between which and the bending-pins the ends of the blank are bent.

27. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, a reciprocating center head, a center bar sliding endwise through a stand on the bed-plate and having slight end-play in a socket in the centerhead, a mandrel carried by the ccnterbar, and link connections between the mandrel, center bar, and center head, by which the mandrel is traversed bot-h transversely to and parallel with the path of the blank, first to pass over and then to abut against it.

28. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, a center head reciprocating relatively thereto, a center bar sliding endwise through a stand on the bed-plate and having slight end-play in a socket in the center head, a catch-lever holding the bar against movement in one direction, a mandrel carried bythe center bar, and link connections between the center head, center bar, and mandrel, these members co-operating to hold the bar and mandrel until the latter is moved out of the pat-h of the link, and then released to allow the mandrel to be traversed by the headand bar to carry it over and in front of the blank preparatory to bending it.

29. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of abed-plate, center bending-rolls fixed thereon, a slide-frame reciproeating on the bed-plate, a mandrel carried thereby, and mechanism which lifts the mandrel out of the path of the blank, carries it over and in front of the blank, fiescends and advances itbetween the rolls to bend the center of the blank.

ciprocating with said frame, a mandrel carried by said bar, and mechanism which. traverses the mandrel with and transversely across the center bar, first to carry it over the blank and then to act upon the-blank to bend it on its return movement.

81. The combination,substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a reciprocating center head, a center bar reciprocating therewith and having slight end-play therein, a friction device acting on the center bar, a mandrel carried by and movable transversely relatively to the bar, and an elbow-lever connection between the center head and mandrel to actuate both the center bar and mandrel by he reciprocation of the center head.

32. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of center bending-rolls against which the blank lies, a reciprocating center head, a center bar reciprocating therewith and having a slight endwise movement relatively thereto in a plane parallelwith the bending-rolls, a friction device which retards the movement of the center bar, a mandrel carried by the lever and movable transversely thereto, an elbow-lever connection between the center head, center bar, and mandrel, a catch-lever which looks the center bar temporarily when moving in one direction, and a stop actuated by the movement of the mandrel to release the catch-lever and allow the center bar and mandrel to move backward to carry the latter over and into position to act upon the blank.

33. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a bed-plate, laterally-adjustable slide-plates thereon, sliding frames mounted in these slide-plates, a cross-head, and mechanism for adjusting the sliding frames thereon coincidently with the adj ustment of the slide-plates on the bed-plate to adapt the mechanism to the manufacture of links of different lengths.

34:. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of bending-pins inclined in opposite directions relatively to a vertical plane passing longitudinally through the ITO blank, and bending-rolls traversing in the plane of the blank to bend its ends so that they shall lie in different horizontal planes, so as to overlap when the link is finished.

35. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a rod-guide through which the blank is fed endwise, a gage-stop into which it is similarly fed, and bendingpins against which its ends rest when ready for operation, mechanism which removes these devices from the path of the blank at the proper time, center bending-rolls secured by the bed-plate, a knife or shear to sever the blank, outer bending-rolls reciprocating in the plane of the blank to bend its ends, and a mandrel reciprocating both vertically and transversely relatively to the blank, first to pass over it and then to bend it.

36. The combination, substantially as hererelatively to said bar, and acatch-lever Which holds the bar until released by the mandrel as it rises out of the way of the blank to pass over it to begin a new movement.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

J. W. R. JOHNSON.

Witnesses:

J. R. J. ANDERSON, E. W. COOPER. 

